Why Rest and Relaxation Matters

Why Rest and Relaxation Matters

If you often feel tired, exhausted, short-fused or even emotionally out of sorts, you might need some rest and relaxation! Life is increasingly busy, expectations are rising, and in a digitally connected world, switching off can be difficult. If you want to maintain good health, however, you may need to prioritise rest and relaxation. Here’s why:

1.         Rest and relaxation is good for your health

Studies show that stress accounts for 75-90% of visits to the doctor and is also linked to the 6 main causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.

Relaxing promotes the ‘relaxation response’ which targets stress and stress-related illnesses whilst also helping you sleep better. Sleep further boosts health and makes you a nicer person all around.

2.         Rest and relaxation improves your mood

When rested, you feel better, brighter, and better able to cope with the everyday ups and downs of life.  Quality rest helps to balance your hormones, and therefore you too.

3.         Rest and relaxation improves your performance

You, like everything else in the natural world, are designed to ebb and flow, meaning that it is impossible for you to experience peak performance without rest, despite what society or your Type A personality tells you. Try and push through troughs of energy, and you’ll soon hit burnout. You and your mind, just like the muscles in your body, need time to rest, recalibrate and recharge between use. Space in the week creates opportunities to reflect, analyze and grow, which also helps you assess the importance of what you’re doing. This means potentially a better-quality life for you and your family. Restful holidays can return you to work feeling invigorated and better able to handle challenges.

How to rest and relax more

There are many ways you can harness the benefits that more rest and relaxation offer.

1. Prioritise and consider saying “NO”

If you have a habit of saying “yes” to things that don’t matter to you, then you not only waste your time but also your energy too.  Take time to sit with your to-do list and prioritise, organise, and reschedule what really matters to you, so you're busy doing things that matter rather than filling your time with what doesn’t.

2. Schedule time off in your diary

Whatever gets scheduled gets prioritised. Add something restful and relaxing, such as a walk outdoors, in between dropping off dry cleaning, finishing a presentation or collecting the kids. No time scheduled for you usually means no time left. Time can be scheduled within a day or be blocked into a half or full-day.

3. Arrange leisure activities with friends, family and loved ones

Time with people you care about boosts your sense of self whilst providing you with much-needed love, fun and support. Don’t let ‘busy’ stand between you and those you love.   Scheduling a coffee catch-up or a walk with a friend. That one hour means happier, more connected, supported and loved. 

4. Learn to meditate or just breathe

Meditation is my favourite way to promote the relaxation response. You can learn to meditate by downloading my free five-minute meditation right here- look top right. Alternatively, and at any point in your day, you can simply become mindful of your breath, extend the exhalation and bring relaxation into whatever you are doing or set aside 5 minutes to do nothing but breathe.

Life may feel fast, but by prioritising time and opportunity to rest and relax, you can choose a life that is far more productive and feels much slower, making you healthier and happier. Fantastic news for everyone who is longing to do less.

*This article originally appeared in the November 17 issue of Peninsula Living and North Shore Living

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